Hundreds Arrested As Black Lives Matter Protesters Stand Up To Police

In the wake of an extremely violent week, which saw two Black men killed at the hands of police, as well as five police officers in a mass shooting in Dallas, Texas, thousands of protesters took to the streets in support of Black Lives Matter.

But one image stood out to many on social media as being one of the most powerful representations of the climate in America right now.

In Baton Rouge, a photo of a woman standing calmly in front of police in full riot gear went viral, with many labeling it as historic for its powerful implications.

The woman was later identified as Ieshia L. Evans, a New York-based mother and nurse.

She addressed her arrest in a Facebook post Monday, writing:

I appreciate the well wishes and love but this is the work of God. I’m glad I’m alive and safe and that there were no casualties that I have witnessed firsthand.

HelloBeautiful.com reached out to her for comment, but she has not responded as of press time, writing on her Facebook page that she is interested in returning to her son first and foremost before telling her story.

Like Evans, demonstrators took to the streets nationwide in nearly every major city to protest police brutality and violence against Black and brown people around the country. From Los Angeles to New York City to Atlanta, thousands shut down highways and traffic flow to attempt to raise awareness for victims of police violence.

With those protests came hundreds of arrests – more than 300 total – including upwards of 100 people in Baton Rouge alone. The Louisiana city was the site of Alton Sterling’s killing after police fatally shot him at close range. The entire incident was caught on camera and sparked national outcry, along with the death of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man whose fatal shooting at the hands of police was also captured on-camera.

Activist DeRay McKessonwas also arrested in a frightening altercation with police before being released Sunday.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the state where Castile was fatally shot, more than 100 people were arrested. When protestors refused to leave the roadways in St. Paul, witnesses reported that police were using rubber bullets and smoke bombs.